Method and system for a repeater network that utilizes distributed transceivers with array processing

Abstract

A device that comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central processor and a network management engine may be configured to function as relay device, relaying an input data stream from a source device to at least one other device. The relaying may include configuring one or more of the plurality of distributed transceivers to particular mode of relay operation and receiving the input data stream from the source device via at least one of the configured one or more of the plurality of distributed transceivers. The relaying may also include transmitting at least one relay data stream corresponding to the input data stream to the at least one other device, via at least one of the configured one or more of the plurality of distributed transceivers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 in a relay device that comprises a plurality of antenna arrays:
 configuring a first beamforming setting for a first set of antenna arrays in the plurality of antenna arrays of the relay device to establish a first link between the relay device and a source device; 
 configuring a second beamforming setting for a second set of antenna arrays in the plurality of antenna arrays of the relay device to establish a second link between the relay device and a destination device, 
 wherein configuring the first beamforming setting for the first set of antenna arrays and the second beamforming setting for the second sets of antenna arrays comprises phase shifting a signal by a different value for each element within the first set of antenna arrays and the second set of antenna arrays; 
 receiving a data stream from the source device through the first link; 
 down-converting a received radio frequency (RF) waveform of the data stream to an intermediate frequency (IF) waveform of the data stream; 
 sending the data stream to at least one processor that is connected to the plurality of antenna arrays, 
 wherein the data stream is processed based on selection of one of a passive mode of relay operation or an active mode of relay operation, 
 wherein the passive mode of relay operation comprises forwarding the data stream without de-modulation of the data stream, 
 wherein the active mode of relay operation comprises:
 digital signal processing, by the at least one processor, of the received data stream, and 
 demodulating the data stream based on the IF waveform of the data stream; and 
 
 forwarding the data stream to the destination device through the second link. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the data stream concurrently with the forwarding of the data stream. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising switching between the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation based on at least one of a condition of a channel that receives and forwards the data stream or changes in traffic associated with at least one antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising setting at least one antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays to one of the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising configuring at least one relay node of a plurality of relay nodes based on at least one of the first beamforming setting of the first set of antenna arrays or the second beamforming setting of the second set of antenna arrays. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one relay node of the plurality of relay nodes comprises one of the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising down-converting the data stream received from the source device from a first carrier frequency to a baseband signal. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising generating a digital data stream based on digitization of the IF waveform of the data stream; and
 sending the digital data stream to the at least one processor for processing the digital data stream. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising processing the data stream in analog domain based on IF waveform of the data stream. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising sharing resources of the relay device among the plurality of antenna arrays. 
     
     
       11. A system, comprising:
 a relay device that comprises a plurality of antenna arrays, wherein the relay device is configured to:
 configure a first beamforming setting for a first set of antenna arrays in the plurality of antenna arrays of the relay device to establish a first link between the relay device and a source device; 
 configure a second beamforming setting for a second set of antenna arrays in the plurality of antenna arrays of the relay device to establish a second link between the relay device and a destination device, 
 wherein the first beamforming setting for the first set of antenna arrays and the second beamforming setting for the second sets of antenna arrays are configured based on a phase shift of a signal by a different value for each element within the first set of antenna arrays and the second set of antenna arrays; 
 receive a data stream from the source device through the first link; 
 down-convert a received radio frequency (RF) waveform of the data stream to an intermediate frequency (IF) waveform of the data stream; 
 generate the data stream based on digitization of the IF waveform of the data stream; 
 send the data stream to at least one processor that is connected to the plurality of antenna arrays, 
 wherein the data stream is processed based on selection of one of a passive mode of relay operation or an active mode of relay operation, 
 wherein the passive mode of relay operation comprises forward of the data stream without de-modulation of the data stream, 
 wherein the active mode of relay operation comprises:
 a digital signal processing operation, by the at least one processor, on the received data stream, and 
 a demodulation of the data stream based on the IF waveform of the data stream; and 
 
 forward the data stream to the destination device through the second link. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to receive the data stream concurrently with the forward of the data stream. 
     
     
       13. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to switch between the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation based on at least one of a condition of a channel that receives and forwards the data stream or changes in traffic associated with at least one antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays. 
     
     
       14. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to set at least one antenna array of the plurality of antenna arrays to one of the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation. 
     
     
       15. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to configure at least one relay node of a plurality of relay nodes based on at least one of the first beamforming setting of the first set of antenna arrays or the second beamforming setting of the second set of antenna arrays. 
     
     
       16. The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one relay node of the plurality of relay nodes comprises one of the passive mode of relay operation or the active mode of relay operation. 
     
     
       17. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to down-convert the data stream received from the source device from a first carrier frequency to a baseband signal. 
     
     
       18. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to:
 generate a digital data stream based on digitization of the IF waveform of the data stream; and 
 send the digital data stream to the at least one processor for processing the digital data stream. 
 
     
     
       19. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to process the data stream in analog domain based on IF waveform of the data stream. 
     
     
       20. The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the relay device is further configured to share resources of the relay device among the plurality of antenna arrays.